The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Gazprom, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) and the Russian Finance Ministry have agreed during an official visit by a Ukrainian delegation to Russia on the possibility of paying for natural gas in Russian rubles, the NBU said on its Web site.
"NBU Governor Serhiy Arbuzov held a working meeting with Russian Acting Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and senior managers from the Russian Central bank and Gazprom. At the meeting, the parties agreed on the possibility of the payment for the gas consumed by Ukraine, being made, in particular, in rubles," the statement said.
The reached agreements give Ukraine some space for maneuvering when paying for imports, in particular, for natural gas, and will allow it to avoid fluctuations on the currency market in the event of financial settlements with Russian regions.
"NBU will continue to work on currency diversification in financial settlements with Ukraine’s main trade partners, both with the European Union member states and the Russian Federation, China and others," the statement said.
